As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

lizzyb1812

Ginnyknit, glad you and OH had a good day and good vibes from the CCCS.

"Extreme Knitting"? Sounds like the latest TV show :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

hex2 - I LOVE cherries and would be prepared to stone all yours in return for a cut

V sticky day here today - yuk. Not blisteringly hot but v muggy - I'm sat at nearly 9-30pm with a small fan pointed at me. There was a small rain shower earlier but it hasn't done much good to lessen the stickiness.

Reorganised the freezer to make room for garden produce but still need to start eating up what I've already got in there! And then took up some of the room I've made with HM burgers!

Got a blood test tomorrow - I hate needles but needs must. I'll be up at the hospital early to avoid the queues then off to Sainsbugs which I only visit when I go for a test as it's quite a way from where I live

Have a good evening all

7_week_wonder

I've finally caught up again. Events have been conspiring against me finding time to post: a combination of the good - the weather finally being good enough to get some serious gardening done - we now have 30 cabbages (mixture of savoy, red and white) in the veg patch; and the not-so-good - one of OHs relatives being in a secure ward after a major overdose.

Thanks for all your suggestions about the over-boiled jam - the jam-making episode had a happy ending and the stuff in the jars was nowhere near as solid as the scrapings from the bottom of the pan. I don't think I'm going to challenge for any prizes at a village fete; but it's good enough to risk giving a jar to my mum as the first year's rent on her jam pan! GreyQueen you are right - I was worried about third degree burns with all that hot fruit and suugar. I did wonder whether it was a tactical error not changing out of shorts before I started!

Neeps vs swedes: hmm. Well my OH will eat just about anything, but one time I had an excess of neeps and plenty of eggs so I made some "swede fritters" which was basically grated neeps mixed with egg and pan-fried. It's the only time my OH has said "Please don't make that again - ever!" it was grim!

I did come up with a nice invention this evening though. I can never quite be organized enough to blanch and freeze broad beans and we've got plenty of them at the moment. So, inspired by a rather nice dip from M&S, I made: broad bean, wasabie and mint dip. I fried an onion and some garlic in a saucepan, then added about two cupfuls of broadbeans and just covered them in wine (I had a wee bit left over in a bottle, but veg stock or even water would work just as well). Then cooked for about 15 minutes until they were soft. I then added finely chopped mint, some wasabie and a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt and blended it all together. It is completely yummy and I'm taking some to work to have with some bread for lunch tomorrow.

stiltwalker

That sounds yummy 7WW I will have to give that a go tomorrow I have all that in apart from the leftover wine, (not sure what that is:rotfl:) but I guess my cooking vermouth and a bit of stock will work!

greenbee

Broad beans make a very nice dip with cumin too...

grandma247

Kittie I didn't blanch them and they are fine. I also do aubergine and courgettes like this because I can use them in cakes or bajis then as well as soups and stews.

I just remembered another tip. dry some spinach and crush and sprinkle it in soup at the last few minutes of cooking.

[Deleted User]

thank you grandma, you have saved me a lot of time and mess

I just realised that I can use my processor to chop the dried turnip slices that I already made and no-one will notice them in soups and stews, same for the dried potato slices and they`ll also be good for thickening soups.

Oh and beetroot leaves too, we juice them but I`ll dry them too, like grandma`s spinach and they can go into soups

Larumbelle

Hi all!

I've got my hearing this afternoon, so I didn't sleep a wink last night. My plan is to go in looking as healthy and confident as possible, even though I feel like bleargh today!

Even though I know it is all going to be okay in the grand scheme of things, I'm still scared. Keep your fingers crossed for me?!

PS) http://www.sq1sch.co.uk/newlook_fb/onepound/vouchers/4.pdf just caught £1 New Look bargains on the newsletter - here's the voucher if anyone has a store nearby. We have a tiny NL in our local shopping centre, so I'm going to pop down bag me a crochet sundress (might need it to console myself with later!)

redlady_1

I am soooo tired today. All these long shifts at the pub as well as my day job are wearing me out. Thanks very much for all your suggestions. I have a new idea to investigate. I am going to look for some hooks just to put in either end and then drape the fabric over them. I think that will be better than a pole. Never thought about a broom handle - but then I am incapable of thought at the moment!

redlady_1

Good luck Larumbelle. You will be fine. xx

Softstuff

Good luck Larumbelle, hope it all goes well for you.

My luck here is on the upswing, I have light in the living room (and new lights elsewhere too, but the living room is worth mentioning since it's been total darkness in there for a bit since the fitting died), new ceiling fans and knobs on the bathroom door. Most of the upturn is due to my very kind neighbour who's an electrician and likes my baking, so thusly charged accordingly.

I have a list of what is broken in our house or things we've needed a while and I'm working through it as fast as I can with the hope we can come out on top and maybe have a period of time where nothing here is actually broken! I figure we can manage at least 1 thing a week depending on cost (just by being creative with meal plans and using the food budget!).

I'm also now on top of my laundry, I have scaled both Miniundie Mountain and Mount Washmore. It didn't matter that hubbie had been on top of it while I was away, there was still a mountain of stuff to do when I got back. I think it breeds.

Going out for coffee with a friend tomorrow and a buy one get one free voucher.